We’re all guilty of making mistakes, but the first step in resolving them is recognizing (and admitting) that there’s a problem. This is especially important when it comes to your beauty routine. If you’ve picked up some of these bad habits, it’s time to STOP, like, right now — or things could get ugly!

Not Getting Your Hair Trimmed Regularly

You don’t trim your hair because then it won’t grow, right? Sadly, this way of thinking is flawed. Your hair is always growing, it’s just breaking at an even rate. So, if your hair is getting longer, but your dry ends keep breaking off, it may seem like the rate at which your hair is growing is snail-like. To accelerate the growth process and maintain healthy hair, it’s important to get a trim every eight-to-twelve weeks.

Thinking the SPF in Makeup Is Enough to Protect Your Skin

The actual amount of SPF in makeup is questionable, plus, you don’t apply makeup evenly all over your skin, neck and chest. A broad-spectrum sunscreen of at least 30 should always be applied to skin before makeup — no exceptions. Try mixing it in with your daily moisturizer!

Picking at Your Split Ends

This game can turn into an hour-long scavenger hunt. But, pulling apart split ends only causes more damage to your hair shaft and that strand is likely to break off even more. The best way to fix split ends (and prevent future ones) is with regular trims or these temporary quick-fixes.

Neglecting Your Décolletage

We place so much emphasis on caring for the skin on our faces, that we often forget about our décolletage. Because the skin around your neck and chest is so thin, and is often exposed to the sun, it’s the first area to show signs of aging. That’s why it’s just as important to cleanse, moisturize and treat your décolletage as you would your face!

Washing Your Hair, Skin & Body With HOT Water

We know it feels amazing, but taking scalding hot showers will inevitably leave you with dry skin and even dryer hair. Lukewarm water is the best way to go and for extra shine, rinse your hair with cold water at the very end of your shower sesh!

Touching Your Face … Like, All the Time

You may not even notice it, but during that boring morning meeting, your hands were constantly touching your face. Whether you’re picking at something or just propping your head up, the bacteria on your hands and fingers could lead to serious breakouts, so keep your hands clean (and off of your face)!

Applying Makeup to Dry Skin

While makeup may be able to conceal a pimple, it can’t conceal flaking skin. If your skin is very dry, a deeply nourishing moisturizer like SkinCeuticals Emollience is a critical step before makeup application. And a lightweight tinted moisturizer could be a great option if you’re looking for a little coverage!

Sleeping on a Dirty Pillowcase

Doing laundry every other day is no fun (duh). But, your seemingly clean pillowcase is actually covered in your hair's oils, dead skin cells, face oils and dust — all of which can lead to clogged pores and breakouts. No matter the material of your pillowcase, be sure to swap it out for a fresh (and so clean, clean) one every three days to keep skin clear and acne-free!

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About the Author:Diana creates on-trend beauty content for Makeup.com readers. She stays up-to-date on the latest beauty news and product launches and tests every makeup item that comes through the door. As an employee of L’Oréal, Diana writes stories about beauty products across the entire brand portfolio.